Did Mr. Robot Get it Right?

Emmy-award winning T.V. drama, Mr. Robot has been received highly by hackers and law-abiding citizens alike. The show is currently on its third season and follows Elliot, a cybersecurity engineer by day and hacker by night.

One of the biggest destruction methods employed in the drama is hacking a climate control system. The question on every viewer’s mind was: is that a real thing?

The Answer is, Yes.

Season one revolves around Elliot and his hacking cohort as they attempt take down the biggest conglomerate in the show’s world, E Corp. In episode 4, Elliot devises a plan to break into E Corp’s data center and hack into their climate control system by subtly raising the temperature. The intention is to bypass the climate control system to the point where the data it’s protecting is damaged.

This episode seemed odd to many viewers, but data experts will verify that hackers use cooling, heating, and power systems as infiltration methods, and sprinklers and fire to destroy information. Show creator, Sam Esmail, drew inspiration from Arab Spring hackers; the episode’s concept was created by writer Kor Adana, a former hacker who went into cybersecurity.

Businesses shouldn’t brush off the episode.

Can This Happen to Your Data Center?

Experts say that yes, it’s easier to take down a center through its cooling system than its individual servers. In the episode, Elliot uses a device called a Raspberry Pi. Adana describes it as a “small, credit-card sized computer that you can program any number of ways.” Without proper cooling and data center design, it can easily be your information being hacked.

Sign up to receive trending data center solutions, news and updates right to your inbox!

Download the EcoStruxure IT App

Manage Your Facility Anywhere

Looking to remotely manage your critical facilities? Use the EcoStruxure IT App! EcoStruxure IT provides you remote monitoring services for ALL brands of Mission Critical equipment. With just one tap, this app gives you access to your assets, incident tracking and online chat collaboration, keeping you in touch with Schneider Electric service staff and your team.